Apparatus for separating mud. weeds, and stems from vegetables



July 22, 1952 A. A. ARMER 2,604,206 APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING Euo, WEEDS,AND

STEMS FROM VEGETABLES Filed Aug. 30, 1948 I/VVENTOR AUSTIN A. ARMER 4/,ATTORNEY Patented July 22, 1952 AND STEMS FROM VEGETABLES Austin A.Armer, Davis, Calif., assignor to Spreckels Sugar Company,

San Francisco,

Calif., a corporation of California I Application August30,1948,-SerialNo.46,880 H I 4 Claims. (01. 209-107) My inventionrelates to a machine for sepa rating mud, weeds and stems from such.vegetables as sugar beets; and it'is among the objects of the inventionto provide a machine that will remove such trash from the vegetables asthey pass over it.

It is another object'to provide a separating machine capable ofcontinuous operation without clogging or jamming.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a machine whichremoves trash from vegetables by both agitation and positive shearingaction.

My invention has other objects. and features of advantage which, withthe foregoing, will be explained in the following description of thatform of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings. It is to beunderstoodhowever, that the invention is not limited to this singleembodiment, but may be included in a plurality of forms as set forth inthe claims. v

Referring to the'drawings: Figure 1' is a plan view of my separatingmachine. The top of the drive housing is shownibroken away to'revealthewdrive gear arrangement therein, and a portion of the pulley isremoved to reduce its length.

Figure 2 is a detail, partly in vertical axial section, of the bearingarrangement at one end of a roll, the plane of section being indicatedby the line 2-2 of Figure 1. 1

Figure 3 is a similar detail of the roll journaled on an annular flangeand bracket at its other end, the plane of section being indicated bythe line3--3ofFigurel..-

Broadly, my separating machine comprises a frame having a plurality ofrolls journaled thereon. The rolls are arranged in pairs; and one rollof each pair is provided with a helical flight. A jack shaft journaledon the frame and rotated by a motor is rotatably coupled to the rolls insuch a way that adjacent rolls turn in opposite directions and atdifferent speeds. With this arrangement, the vegetables fed to themachine are subjected to a positive shearing action by the revolvingflights, and a bouncing motion resulting from rotation. v v v While theseparating machine of my invention can besuccessfully used to clean suchroot crops as onions and table beets; the-embodiment. described is thatadapted rorpmessmg sugar beets.

In terms of more specific detail, my machine the different rates of rollincludes a generally rectangular frame formed by side members 2, endmembers 3, and angle brackets 4. A plurality of spaced tubular rolls 6are rotatably mounted on the frame; and one end of each roll is fixed inan annular collar 1 having a T-shaped cross-section. The roll fits intothe collar just under theflange la and abuts the web lb. Y

' An annular flange B, conveniently integral with a bracket 9 bolted tothe frame end member 3, extends into the collar 1 and provides amounting for the ball bearing [2. A grease fitting I3 is provided on thebracket adjacent. the bearing; and the bracket is shaped to afford asmall grease reservoir l4 between the fitting and the bearing, as shown.It will be noted that with this type of collar covering'th'e bearingassembly, the danger of weeds,'be'et stems or dirt working into thebearing to jam the roll is largely eliminated. U

'The other end of theroll 6 is mounted on a spindle l6 journaled throughone side of. the drive housing 11 arranged on the frame end member 3. Anannular bushing l8 splined on the spindle is fixed inside the 'roll bysuch means as the weld 19. Aston plate 2| 'fixed across the inner end ofthe bushingto prevent the spindle from jamming therein limits the amountof axial play of the roll.

The unsplined portion 22 of the spindle 16 extends through the housingmember 23 on'the drive housing l1, and provides a mounting for the ballbearing 24. A seal 26, which may be a leather and fabric oil seal, isdisposed between the spindle and the housing member 23 to preventlubricant from leaking into the roll. The proportion and arrangement ofthe parts is such that the annular end 'of the roll 6 revolves in anannular groove 21 in the housing member, so

that the'inside bearings are protected from dirt and'other foreignmatter.

Means for driving the. rolls are provided on the spindles. With theexception of the power trans- -mission spindle 3|; each spindle I6 isprovided with a gear 29 fixed thereon within the drive housing [1. Inthe embodiment having fourteen rolls andspindles, which is shown inFigure 1,

power spindle, so that no other than eight spindles away from it. Inthis way, the tooth pressure between the gears29'wi1l be reduced to apractical minimum. i The gears 29 on the spindles lfiare meshed,affording a gear train on each side of the power spindle 3 I. In ordertodrive the trains, sprockets 33 are arranged on the power spindle 3| andon one of the spindles l6 in'each train; and the sprockets are linkedwith chains 34. With this arrangement, rotation of the power spindle 3|wi11 effect rotation of all of the other spindles and all of the rolls.It will be also seen the adjacent rolls will rotate in oppositedirections.

Preferably, the adjacent rolls also turn at different speeds, and. thismaybe convenientlyeffected by alternating the sizes of the gears 29 onthe spindles. I have found that with rolls four inches in diameter,excellent results may be obtained by having one rollrotate at about 237R. P. M. while the adjacent roll revolves at about 290 R. P. M.; and anygear combinations that permit speed ratios of this order may beemployed. With this difierential in roll speed, a desirable agitationand bouncing is imparted to'the beets passing over the rolls. Mudadhering to the beets is thus knocked off; and soil, weeds and beettails which might otherwise cling to the rolls are effectively stripped.

shaft, means rotatably connecting the jack shaft and one of the rolls,and gear means on the rolls for rotating them in opposite directions andat different speeds, with said first-mentioned plain cylindrical surfaceroll having a faster rotary I flight having a rounded cross-section ononly one A double helical flight 37 of rounded crosssection is disposedon each alternate roll 6 to move the beets across the machine. Theflights are preferably fixed on. the slower roll of each pair; and maybe conveniently made by'welding round steel wire, which may be about indiameter, helically on each specified roll. I have found that theapproximate limits of the range for the lead angle of the flights are 35and 50. Smaller angles tend to be less efiective in-propelling thebeets; while larger angles move the beets so smoothly across the machinethat the very desirable bouncing is eliminated.

Naturally, the arrangement of the flights '3] and the gears 29 should besuch that thebeets are discharged over the ends of the rolls oppositethe drivehousing ll. By inclining the entire machine at an angle ofabout to the horizontal with the drive housing at the upper end, thismay be aided.

It will be noted that by mounting the annular flange 8 and the bearing[2 within the collar 1 at the lower end of each roll 6, a minimum ofobstruction is afiorded to the outflowingv beets.

' Power means are provided for driving the rolls. A multiple grooveV-belt pulley 39 is mounted on a jack shaft 4| journaled in a bearingAZat one end ofthe drive housing l1. Any well known drive means, such as a30 H. P. 1800 R. P.'M. motor,not shown, may be combined with suitableV-belting to rotate the pulley and jack shaft. A chain 43 connects thesprocket 44 on the jack shaft to a sprocket 46 on the same spindle l6 asthe nearest sprocket 33. Thus, when the motor is rotatably coupled tothe pulley, the combination of chains 34 and 43; sprockets 33, M and 46;and gears 29 will rotate the smooth rolls at about 290 R. P. M.;while'the rolls having the double helical rounded flights 31 thereonwill turn at about 237 R. P. M. in the opposite direction.

When my separating machine is in operation, uncleaned sugar beets freshfrom the fields are fed to it at its upper end. .As the .beets travelacross the machine, such foreign .matter as stems, leaves, grass andweeds is grasped by the rotating rolls and discharged under them. The

difference in the speeds of the adjacent :rolls causes the beets towobble and bounce on the machine, thus shaking off adhering mud or soil.

Because the helical flights 31 have a rounded rather than arectangularcross-section, they propel the beets across thetable to thedischarge end of the machine without cutting them, 'yie1d-' ing a cleanundamaged product. 7

I claim: .2

1. A separating machine comprising a frame, apair of spaced rollsjournaled on the frame,

one of said rolls having a plain cylindrical surface and-the other rollhaving a helical flight disposed on its surface, a'jack shaft journaledon the frame, drive means for rotating the jack of the rolls of eachpair, a fixed flange on the frame upon which one end of a roll isjournaled, a spindle journaled on the frame and mounted in theother endof the roll, gear means on the spindles of one pair of rolls forrotating them at diflerentspeeds and in opposite directions with thehelical flight roll rotating at a lower speed than its companion roll,sprocket means on one of the spindles, a jack shaft journaled on theframe, sprocket means on the jack shaft, drive means for rotating thejack shaft, and chain means rotatably connecting the sprocket meansonthe jack shaft and spindle.

3. A separating machine comprising a frame, a plurality of pairs oftubular rolls arranged on the frame, one roll .of each pair having aplain cylindrical surface and the other roll of each pair having ahelical flight disposed on its surface, a cylindrical flange on theframe adjacent the end of each roll and concentric with the axisthereof, a cylindrical collar on the end of each roll and overlying theadjacent flange, a bearmg interposed between each collar .and the frameand constituting a journal for the roll at the collared end, means foriourna'ling the other end of each roll, and. means for rotating therolls.

4. A separating machine comprising a frame, a plurality of pairs oftubular rolls arranged on the frame at an angle to the horizontal, oneroll of each pair having a plain cylindrical surface and the other rollof each pair having a helical flight disposed on its surface,cylindrical flanges on the frame overlying each roll .at itshigh end andadjacent each roll at its low end, a cylindrical collar on each roll atsaid low end and overlying the adjacent flange, a bearing interposedbetween each-collar and the frame and constituting a Journal for theroll at the low end, a spindle engaged .in the high end'aof each roll, abearing interposed between the spindle and the frame, and means forrotating the spindles to rotate therolls.

AUSTIN A. ARMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenc file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date 7 Switzerland Sept. 13, 1932 s are of recordin the

